True Punishment
by thePeppermint
Summary: An obsessive and angered lady, a guilty and indecisive lover….. True punishment is not always what it seems, and neither does true love. What will become of these two tragic lovers? Check out the indie VN, Lads In Distress! (on hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I literally asked FFN to make another subcategory so I could write this fanfic. I really REALLY likes the indie visual novel, Lads In Distress! The artwork is so pretty and the characters are all very interesting! I've heard that the Cat Crew(the creator team of the game) is expanding the game and updating it, and I can't wait! Even without the upgrades, the current game is good and is "finished." You should all check it out! Here's the link:** .io/lads-in-distress

 **It's my first time trying to write something about a dark and complicated relationship, so bear with me and don't be too harsh, please. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this fanfic and the game itself! Those who have played the game would understand what this fanfic is based on^^ (Trying hard not to spoil things here!)**

 **I do not own anything about _Lads In Distress!_ It belongs to the Catfish Crew! Yeah for them~ **

**But I did come up with the idea of the story, so DON'T steal it! With that in mind...let's begin.**

* * *

Prince Mer, or according to the public, King Mer, was not the person people all thought him to be. No, he was far from the gentle and loving Mer the people and his parent knew from seven years ago. The real Prince Mer had died seven years ago. The current Prince Mer was actually a lowly peasant named Evian, and had he not have been body-swapped by that fairy he came across all those years ago, he would have died.

Evian had been very grateful to his fairy godmother back then; he was healthier than he had ever been and he was now a royalty. He could do so much more now. He did not have to starve and he could even help those like him. Or more precisely, those who were like Evian. He was, after all, a prince now. However, he did not want to forget that he was still Evian, the poor commoner, who starved for days and days until he got anything to eat. He wanted to remember and retain a part of the original him, so he asked help from a magician to curse his voice. It was effective and the perfect excuse to remind him to not use his newfound voice and stay mute like he originally was.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten to ask the magician the specific effects of his voice and to see its affect in front of his eyes so suddenly was indeed very very shocking.

Upon returning to the palace of the Water Kingdom, Evian had spoken for the first time in a while. He was just trying to call out for the guards that he had safely returned and wanted some help. That was all. But the next thing he new was all the guards screaming in pain as they clawed at their eyes. Their face oozed with blood and one by one they went silent. Their crops than all melted like ice and no trace of them were left. The shock alone was enough to keep him stay silent for a while.

His parent were very protective of him. After the return of Prince Mer, they never left his far away from their sight and didn't allow him to set foot outside of the palace unless it was necessary. As much as Evian was touched by their love for their son, Evian found it all suffocating. The other nobles were the same, only they didn't really worry about him. They found his- Prince Mer's situation rather amusing. Prince Mer was now mute and had lost his memories, making his pretty much useless. Evian knew all too well that they were making fun of him, and even joking about taking him down while the king and queen were away.

It all disgusted Evian. He had never been fond of nobles or monarchs for being so stuck-up and ignorant, but since he was now technically a royalty, he had tried to get used to it all and bear with it. He had even though of using his new capabilities to help those in need; those who starved and not even have a decent place to sleep. But this new found qualities he had found in them; arrogance, cruelty, and hypocrisy, just made him hate them so much more, even his doting parents; they didn't listen to him when he had pleaded about the poor.

 _" Don't be so dramatic, Mer. Things cannot be that bad. Look around you; everything and everyone is doing so well. Not all of them are rich and well off as us, but they all have more than enough food and a decent place to live in. "_

After that, he couldn't help but drop his smile and glare at them all; his parents and all those stuck up nobles, whenever his parents were not looking. He felt the urge to use them as the sacrifices to sustain the body-swap spell, and on some occasions, he did secretly. He did have to keep up the rituals to live-literally. But he too knew well enough that he couldn't keep going on like this. He couldn't spend the rest of his life secretly sacrificing people to live; someone was bound to get suspicious either he kept killing those snobby nobles or the lowly street-rats, and he didn't want to kill those like himself.

Thankfully, he wasn't without a solution. Years ago, his fairy godmother had rented him her special dagger. She had told him that if he were to sustain the spell to be permanent he had to stab someone with plenty of magic in them with the magic dagger and let that person's blood touch his skin.

It was perfect but not. The person had to be human and not a fairy. He no longer had too much of a qualm over killing people but it was impossible to find a human being with plenty of magic in them in his kingdom or any kingdom for that matter. Magic was now strictly forbidden in all the lands…..except the Lunar Kingdom.

Once he had learned that the Lunar Kingdom was the only kingdom with people still practicing magic and fairies he began to devise a plan. He had the perfect solution and if he succeeds he could kill two birds with one stone. He'd be able to live and have two kingdoms in his control, giving him more power to do what he wanted. All he needed was to get close to Princess Charming of the Lunar Kingdom.

It was perfect…Yes, it **_was_** perfect.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is my first time using the POV thing. I hope I'm getting it right! Disclaimer yadda yadda ~ Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Evian's POV**

I was imprisoned in a small room at the top of a tower in the Lunar Palace. The tower was guarded by fairies that were loyal to Princess Charming, now Queen Charming, and her most trusted advisor Nicholl only; it was a very clever move, considering that no other kingdom had the means to get through the fairies or their magic, though not that anyone would be looking for him.

Nobody in the world except for Charming and Nicholl knew that the King Mer seen to the public was nothing more than a piece of illusion. Everything they thought they knew about the King of the Water Kingdom was all fake and an act…although he had to admit, even if he was really there as flesh and blood, he wouldn't be Mer. Not **_really_** anyway.

It had been an about two years since the day the truth was revealed to Charming and six months since I was sent to this tower. Strangely, Charming gave me track of time and what was happening out there, though very vaguely and she was always technically talking to Mer and not me. Charming never looked at me directly since the night when I attempted to kill her. She always talked to the illusion of Mer within my earshot, with her back towards me.

At first, I tried to reason with her. I tried to get her to talk to _me_. I wanted her to _talk_ to me and _look_ at me. I could remember those days when I screamed and shouted, and even insulted her to a reaction meant for _me….._ but it was no use. Charming was always stubborn and it became more and clearer the more I tried.

I soon gave up on reasoning and trying to understand her anger and obsession towards him. I gave into the anger and hate towards her. She chained and locked me up, and took away any powers or abilities I had, including the capacity to kill myself. She took everything from me….why shouldn't I hate her? I hate her with all I have and that's the nicest way to express what I feel about her.

Today is the day Charming is going to come to this tower to _see_ me again. I really didn't have to do anything; just lie on the bed and stay still behind the curtain with my legs are chained up. I had tried to pick the lock, but what do you know? The locks are enchanted and can be only opened by magic.

Anyways, it's really boring up here with no one and nothing. Well, it's not that boring. I spent most of my time imagining butchering Charming into pieces, and let me tell you, it's really really fun. And the bed is comfy enough for a good sleep and nap and dream of killing Charming like I _should_ have. Oh, how I _regret_ hesitating to kill her that night.

Her kind smile kept lingering in front of my eyes that night. I kept hearing her laughter and her soft voice speaking to me that everything would be fine. The way her eyes would lit up when she saw me and the kiss…

But it was all an illusion. He should have known. Life wasn't a fairytale.

The door knocked. Wait, knocked? Charming never knocks; she just barges in with her face covered with a fan. And there was no laughter or giggles; the coy and sickeningly sweet sound.

"Come in," I said rather awkwardly.

The door slowly opened and I saw Nicholl standing there, without Charming. I peered behind Nicholl if Charming was behind him; nope, he was alone.

I scowled at Nicholl, "What is she planning?"

Nicholl gave me an apologetic smile. I really should thank this guy, actually. He was now the only person that Charming was willing to listen and keep her in line. There had been more than several occasions in the early days of their _marriage_ when Charming became insane and lashed out. Many maids and guards were seriously hurt or killed during that time and it was always Nicholl was got Charming to snap out of it. Those continuous incidents were the reason why I was removed from Charming's room to this tower and guarded by fairies and not normal people, and it was Nicholl who had suggested that to Charming.

Really, this was a lot better than being trapped in her room like a doll. I didn't have to deal with Charming every day and the air here was a lot fresher. Charming's room always had a strange smell that made me unwell. I think it's her perfume.

"There's nothing to worry about, King Mer. The Queen…..will not be able to make it see you today." Nicholl said carefully as if he was treading on thin ice.

I was surprised; never have Charming not come to this place for any reason. She had said so herself and despite her current deplorable state, she was a person of her words, and I also knew that she was too obsessed with me.

"That's a first," I said. Then my stomach growled and I groaned. Nicholl smiled another one of his apologetic smiles and waved at the fairies outside.

Two came in fluttering, each with a tray of food. They set them down my bed and gave me a nasty look, "We heard the insults you shouted at out queen last time! How dare you when you are at her mercy - you ungrateful little," the fairies didn't get to finish as Nicholl shot them death glares.

"Keep _your_ mouth shut. The Queen had given us strict orders not to say anything about it and if you are loyal to her, you shall obey to her _only_ command."

The fairies puffed their cheeks but said nothing else and flew out of the room.

"Sorry about that. The fairies are…you know," he shrugged and sighed.

I knew all about it; the fairies adored their new queen, and it seemed like according to the few things about ruling and politics Charming had said while being here was that the Lunar Kingdom was doing quite well. I assumed that the normal people would also love their queen as well, but then again they had always loved her even as a princess. Anyways, it wasn't too surprising that those fairies would defend _her -_ even in front of _me_.

I picked up my fork and knife and dig into my meal, which was fish cutlet with lemon cream sauce, seaweed bread, and calm chowder; my favorite. It tasted better without Charming with me.

"So, what's is going on that prevented my _dear_ queen from coming to see _her king_?" I said sarcastically as I dipped my bread into the chowder.

Nicholl seemed nervous that I brought it up but soon let out a sigh and looked at me. Occasionally Nicholl told me more about what was going on while Charming wasn't much paying attention. I'm really indebted to this guy.

"There have been some issues…..at the Water Kingdom, which required _both_ the queen and king to attend to," he said very hesitantly.

I looked at him while chewing the fish cutlet in my mouth. Something was going on here, I could tell. What big a problem required both the Queen of Lunar Kingdom and King of Water Kingdom to attend to - when it was made clear before the marriage alliance that the governing of each kingdom would be as if they were not married? There were actually quite a few.

"Is it about an heir?" I asked directly.

Nicholl chuckled nervously, "That is part of it." He admitted.

'Part of it, eh?' I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. Of course, why need King Mer there at all if the problem didn't include about producing an heir? After all, King Mer was nothing but a puppet; I knew that even though it seemed like they were ruling separately, it was really Queen Charming who did everything, not only in the sense that he, King Mer, was actually kept as a prisoner and the King Mer they knew of was an illusion.

The people of the Water Kingdom hasn't been fond of me ever since I returned to the castle nine years ago after Mer had disappeared. It was no surprise they would prefer Queen Charming over the two rulers and that she would be doing everything she could to take power away from King Mer and make him more and more like a puppet, albeit subtlely and cleverly under the table. Not that I cared that much but I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to ruin the Water Kingdom as part of her revenge.

Okay, I do care but not because of the nobles and the sake of the whole kingdom whatsoever. I'm worried about people like _me_ \- like Evian; those who would have to suffer the most from starvation and with no decent place to stay or clothes to wear if anything goes wrong. It literally pains me to imagine what they would have to go through because of me, and I find myself hating Charming more and more.

"Is she ever going to stop this? This crazed obsession and revenge?" I spat out with so much venom I didn't know that I had in me. I pushed away my tray of food; I lost my appetite and the thought of people suffering made me not want to eat.

Nicholl clears his throat and fiddles with his cuffs and averts his gaze from me. "If you are finished, I'll take the trays away."

He called for the fairies to take the trays away. Before he left the room he turned to me and gave me a bitter smile, "Regarding the problem of producing an heir…..you won't have to worry about Charming forcing herself on you. That I can promise."

I feel my eyes widening as Nicholl closes the door and locks it…..and I can't help myself but wonder, 'Has she found herself another man?'


	3. Chapter 3

**A new chapter for this story~! I'm not sure how many people are reading or liking this story, but I personally really like writing this. It's not too easy, really, but certainly an interesting and fresh topic for me.**

 **Anyways, disclaimers for the game, but this idea for this story _is_ MINE. Hope you all enjoy this tale.**

* * *

 **Charming's POV**

"Thank you for your hard work everyone," I said to the nobles and advisers of the Lunar Kingdom and the Water Kingdom. I give them the most charming smile I can muster and playfully pinch _my dear husband,_ King Mer by his side. "Now dear, what do you say?"

The image of Mer chuckles as he laces his fingers with mine and looks at them with an amused smile, "Thank you all for your patient and help. We would not be able to do so well without you all."

All the officials of both kingdoms smile and eyes at how the king is so open about his affections for his queen. They all chuckle and head out of the meeting room.

One of the younger nobles, a new one at that, smiles brightly at _us._ "With such brilliant rulers who cares so much about their people and loves each other so much, we should be thanking you, my queen and king. May the blessings of the gods forever be with you both!" He then bows and heads out.

I couldn't help but hitch my breathings when he said that. I do care about my people and I want the best for them all. I am sure _Mer_ does too…but _us, loving each other?_ That is just preposterous. I can't blame them, of course. They don't know…..and they never will.

For the sake of the kingdom and perhaps….even me, I'll never let them know. I simply cannot.

"Queen Charming?" I hear Nicholl's voice from behind. I smirk to myself and finally stop my magic from working. Immediately the image of King Mer disappears into nothing. I feel myself feeling less strained. An animated illusion that also respond to outer stimulations is very hard to maintain and uses up quite an amount of magic. It's nothing I can't handle, of course.

Nicholl comes closer to me and hands me a goblet of potion to re-energise my mind and body to help me refill my magic. I give Nicholl a grateful smile as I drink the potion. I really couldn't be managing it this well if it weren't for Nicholl. Also, it was thanks to him that I haven't gone insane already. There has been some instance when I almost did and it was always him that managed to bring me back to my sense; always reminding me that I had a responsibility to the people of both kingdom and owed it to _Mer._

"How was he?" I ask him, pretty much guessing the answer.

Nicholl shrugs as he tidies the room with magic, "Just as always." He turns to me and gives that unsure and pained expression which I have grown used for the last two years.

"Charming, are you sure you want to continue this?"

I sigh to myself and smile bitterly, "It's too late to turn back, isn't it? And really Nicholl," I stand up and walk towards the window where I can see the tower where _he_ is kept in.

"Despite all what I am going for his sake, I still want to hurt him. I'm afraid I still feel betrayed by him."

I glare at the tower and bite the inside of my mouth. "We continue as planned."

I can literally feel Nicholl sadness oozing out from him. "As you wish, my queen."

* * *

 **Evian's POV**

If I hadn't known better I would have immediately thought that Charming would have found a lover somewhere to use for _breeding._ I hate to admit it but it somehow hurts to think that she won't force herself on me for an heir; that she may have found a substitute. I am relieved…..but I still feel disappointed somehow. It's crazy; I should be jumping up and down from joy right now.

She is probably going to use magic to make herself seem pregnant and make an illusion of a child, or adopt a baby from somewhere that looks similar to him and her. If they don't, there's always magic for her. _Magic; it makes it so easy for her._

I feel myself burning with hate again and feel myself smiling. Yes, this is how I'm supposed to feel about her and I am very pleased with his emotion. She deserves to be hated.

I remind myself of everything she has done to me. 'She has taken your freedom of everything. She's imprisoned you in this place and shut you off from the world. She hasn't treated you like an equal. She has ignored your pleas and reasons. She had refused to talk to you….refused to even look at you….'

And I feel my eyes moistening. "Shit," I curse to myself quietly. I didn't want the fairies outside to hear. They'd nag later when they bring in food.

I hate that princess.

I hate that she's imprisoned me.

I hate that she's taken everything from me.

I hate how she reminds me of the better days.

I hate how I still cry because of her.

I hate how she makes me hate her.

I hate how she doesn't even look at me.

And I hate her for making me think and feel like this.


	4. Chapter 4

**I just checked the LID Tumblr and it seems like they are having a naming contest for a new prince for the full game. I would love to participate... Then again, I don't have a Tumblr account.**

 **But I did make a name for this certain prince based on Beauty/Belle from _Beauty & the Beast_, Lutelle. It's a combination of the periodic element Lutetium and Elle. Why Lutetium? One of the three people to discover this element was a French scientist, and this prince IS said to be a bookworm who enjoys science experiments, and B&B is set in France. I would have combined Francium and Elle/Ell, but then I'll have Frelle/Frell and it seems like "frell" is often used instead of the "f" word, so I scratched it. **

**Anyway, I'm really looking forward the full game^^ Disclaimers for the game, but the idea/plot is mine, people!**

 **With that in mind, enjoy the story.**

 **(have you guys noticed the change? yeah, I edited some parts. I got the wrong info and thought the naming contest was over ^^;;;)**

* * *

 **Charming's POV**

"Your Majesty! This is a serious matter! We cannot just ignore this! The people of both countries will feel uneasy that their country still doesn't have an heir." Some extremely loyal and enthusiastic nobles kept on bringing this topic, _despite_ the fact that I have made clear that this was an issue between _the king and I._ Did these people not have a brain?

I refrain myself from hurling a fireball at him for being so annoying and pushy. I try to keep a straight face as I go through the papers regarding the finance and economy of the Lunar Kingdom. There was also the report about the slum areas of the Water Kingdom done by Nicholl and some copies of other reports done by _Mer's_ agents, which Nicholl had slipped into my pile when others weren't looking.

I had no time for this nonsense nagging.

"I believe I made it clear that that particular topic is between the king and I during the last meeting which was held in the presence of both the people of the Water Kingdom and the Lunar Kingdom, dear sirs and ladies of the court," I said through gritted teeth.

'Calm down, Charming. Calm down. Take deep breathe,' I kept chanting inside my head.

The annoying nobles of Lunar Kingdom looked at each other for a minute but began to _whine_ about it again. They were staring to sound like a flock of baby chicks; unguided, naive, and _very very annoying,_ despite being quite adorable at times.

Unlike the Water Kingdom, the people of Lunar Kingdom were quite genuine about their concern about the royal families, meaning me, and the country.

They took pride in the fact that their monarch was the only one capable of performing magic. It gave us a lot more power, literally and symbolically. If it weren't for the _modernizing trend_ and monetary problem, Lunar Kingdom was easily the most powerful kingdom, precisely because of our magic and favor of the fairies.

Magic literally made us more powerful, and the favor we received from the fairies and other magical beings made us more seem more pure and mystical, which was highly admired by all the people of Lunar Kingdom and others from different kingdoms.

And nobles certainly took pride in being a part of such a _charming_ country. They took a lot of pride….and it was actually quite nice…but sometimes…..it was just _so so_ annoying.

"This is not a matter just between you and the king, my queen!" A certain noble that was dressed in a suit with armor parts on the shoulder and knees cried as he knelt down in front me. He was no doubt from a knight family.

'Perfect, just perfect,' I groaned inside my head. 'A patriot!'

Being given a knights title was surprisingly rare in the Lunar Kingdom. It was a title only given to those who had proven themselves to be true patriots and heroes of Lunar Kingdom, and mind you, Lunar Kingdom's standard for being a knight was very high; it was more than being a warrior. Also, despite given out by the royal family, when any one of the members of the family ever did anything that proved that they had strayed away from "the path of patriotism," the title was stripped away immediately by the current ruler.

This guy in front of me was no other than Sir Lance Aquarius of the Aquarius family. The Aquarius family just happened to be one of the oldest knight family in the Lunar Kingdom. I couldn't help but face-palm myself.

This was all giving me a migraine.

"My queen, you are a generous and wise ruler. You should already know why the people are all bringing up about you and King Mer's children. They need to be reassured that the promise of the two kingdoms being separate is going to be kept." He said with his face to the ground.

I glance at him. "Have we not made clear of the promise by being sure that I do nothing about Water Kingdom's governing and vice versa? Unless I was summoned to the king's kingdom, I did not set foot in that place and neither did the king. When we do want to spend time together, we met at the sub-palace built midway Lunar Kingdom's capital and Water Kingdom's capital." I raise my eyebrow and glared at him, "Isn't that reassuring enough? We have been doing a spectacular job with keeping it for two years. Surely, the king and I deserve more than all these demands for more sacrifices on our side?"

I could see the poor little guy swallowing hard. As much I have been known for my generosity and open-minded in most things, I could get scary when I got too pushed around. I made sure they all knew this; as much as their voices should be heard, they should also know their lines.

"Sir Aquarius," I spoke to him with a gentler voice. I saw his shoulders relaxing and I sighed. "I appreciate your advice and your concern for this country and the royal family. No ruler could ask for a more loyal and honest service."

"However, I would also like to bring up the fact that my own mother and your previous queen had me when she was in her thirties; more than a decade into her marriage and her time as queen. Her circumstances were certainly different, but did my parents have any major trouble with ruling without an heir for more than a decade? I am positive that we can all agree that the answer is a no."

I look at Sir Aquarius and then the others in the room, "I am not saying that I will not have children. The Lunar Kingdom and the Water Kingdom will have their future rulers in time. But as of right now….," I held up my papers, "I think we have a bigger problem to deal with - like our economy for example. King Mer also has his own problems with the Water Kingdom, and it makes us _both_ very busy."

"Also, I am now only twenty. I am still young and not ready for a child. As of right now, ruling this kingdom is enough for me. I want to raise my children well - to be kind and a good ruler, and how can I do that when I'm too crazed with politics and governing?"

The entire room has grown quite; they all know that parenting very important. It was Lunar Kingdom's tradition for the parents, even the kings, and queens, to raise their children by themselves in the first five years of the child because it was said that the first five years of the child was the most important and crucial.

I threw a recording stone at Sir Aquarius and Nicholl. "This stone has recorded everything I have just said; make sure that the people of the Lunar Kingdom know that their queen is aware of their concern and will take action all in time."

Nicholl immediately bows towards me and says, "Yes, my queen."

Sir Aquarius looks hesitant for a moment but I gave him one of my best pleading look and he sighs and kneels in front of me. "Yes, Queen Charming. As you wish."

I gesture them to all leave. As soon as they evacuate the room I let a long sigh and sink into the throne. " _My wish_? Yeah, right!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Helloooo~! Guess who has gotten her story posted on the Tumblr site for LiD? Me! ME!**

 **Well, this happened a week ago, but I forgot to share the news. Some of the readers may already know of this if they found about my story via the LiD Tumblr page 6^^;; Anyways, it was a great honor and really cool! For me, it's like getting a thank you note from Justin Bieber. Actually, that's not a good analogy; I don't like JB himself that much.**

 **Don't hate me Beliebers!**

 **Disclaimers for the game, but the idea of the story is mine! With that in mind, let's begin~.**

* * *

 **Evian's POV**

It was a boring uneventful day for me. Just like any other days as long as I was to stay at this blasted tower. Well, and as long as this shackles are on me. It made me unable to move more than a foot around this bed.

Today, I'm a bit tired of blaming it all on Charming. I mean, it _is_ her fault that I'm here…alright, I should admit that the fact that I had tricked her and lied about everything about me when I courted her did make her go crazy. Any positive emotions she had for me had disappeared that night when she decided to keep me, but also ignore me as Evian.

But….what was I supposed to do? I wanted to live.

Power did contribute, but I just wanted to live. I didn't want to die. Can she blame me for trying? It was my only way of survival I knew of back then.

Well, I did get my wish fulfilled; I'm alive right now, thanks to Charming practically threatening Nicholl to find a solution to my situation. And….I lost my curse; probably my only way of self-defense and offense. I don't necessarily need it now that I no longer have to do the sacrificial rituals to maintain the spell.

My eyes trail towards the door; Charming hasn't come here in nearly two months, which is very unusual. I thought she would come at least within a month last time when she didn't visit. I'm not so sure if this is a good thing. Who knows what she is planning?

Nicholl had told me that she wasn't going to force herself on me, and Nicholl wouldn't say that if he weren't sure, but I couldn't shake the ominous feeling in my chest. Maybe she wasn't going to force herself on me, but I have a feeling that somehow she has something far worse planned for me instead.

Should I be surprised? I thought to myself and chuckled cynically. She hated me, after all. Charming was going to spend the rest of the life making sure my life was a living real hell, and I didn't doubt that she would succeed. She was capable.

'What's that wet feeling from my hand?' I thought as I looked at my right hand.

"Oops," I said. I had been clutching my hand with so much force that my nails had dug into my flesh and was now bleeding. I reached for the sheets to stop the bleeding. I couldn't help but hiss with pain as I wiped away the blood. It wasn't often when I got physically hurt and bleed. Even Charming, despite torturing me, she didn't actually hurt my body….at least not often. She mostly resorted to emotional abuse.

I hurl my glass cup at the stone wall and watch it shatter into pieces.

How I wish I could do the same to _Charming._


	6. Chapter 6

**Woohoo~ I finished my SAT 1! Yippee~! I am free! At least for now... You know, I've gotten some experiences with these "tests," and I have come to the conclusion that the best way to conquer your "fear" of "tests" is to just enjoy it. Try to have fun, whatever you're doing. Well, it's not easy, I know. I mean, how the hell do you find fun in your life when your parents are getting divorced? But hey, if you can manage to find something to laugh and smile about even at your "darkest hours", I think you can get through almost anything^^**

 **And I hope these two lovers will get to smile in the end...Which I am not too sure will happen ==;;**

 **Anyways, disclaimers for the game yadda, but I own the plot of this story etc. With that in mind, enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Evian's POV**

I woke up when I felt something cool against my neck. I know that sensation….I felt my blood going cold. I slowly open my eyes, and sure enough, I saw someone above me with a knife against my throat. Ah, crap.

It was dark so I couldn't make out who it was but it was either Charming herself or someone she sent to kill me. I grit my teeth and snarl at the person above me.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Aren't you going to kill me, _my dear_?"

To my surprise, the person lets out an amused chuckle and stepped back. It wasn't Charming. The voice was too low to be Charming or any female. This person was a male.

"King Mer….? Or should I say, Evian?"

I feel my eyes go wide. The man chuckled at me. "So, do you wish to be free?"

"Do I? Do I wish to be free? Hell, yes!" I hissed at him.

Whoever this man was, just laughed at my response. Damn, I wish I could see this guy's face. It's always disturbing not being able to see the person who you are conversing with. This guy was wearing a hood that covered half of his face and was also wearing a mask. Boy, he was meticulous about keeping his identity a secret.

"You are free then," he said and snapped his fingers. I heard a click and I felt the shackles on my ankle getting lose; it was unlocked. I was really free, and this man had just used magic to unlock it. He knew that the lock was magic and he knew how to unlock it. I was getting suspicious.

"How did you know that his lock could open only with magic?" My eyes slanted at him.

My rescuer let out another chuckle. "I was sent by someone in the inner circle to free you. You know that person, that's all I can say, but I suppose that explains everything."

It did. The people of the inner circle who knew about my imprisonment. Excluding some of the fairies, there was only Charming and Nicholl. Charming would never do this, so the only one left was Nicholl. Was he freeing me? What was he thinking? Did he have a death wish or something?

My thought must have been readable because my rescuer spoke about it. "The person who you have thought of has their way of handling this problem. Now, if you wish to be free, you better be on your way. The queen is out today."

Oh, so this was really my lucky day?

"And take this," he handed me a sack and a medallion. "There's more than enough money to start a new life in that sack. The medallion is to be used for you to travel through kingdoms without being accused of being an illegal immigrant or something along the lines."

"Good luck~," and he headed out.

Wait, what?

"Hey, aren't you going to help me get away from this palace?" I hissed at him.

He turned to me and I could see his lips turning upwards. "Nah, my work here is done. My job was to free you so you could escape, and now you can. Besides, you'll find out soon that you don't need my help to get out of this place." And with a poof he vanished.

 _Magic_ , figures. Whoever Nicholl hired must have been from a well-off family or had a fairy for a parent.

I carefully step out of the room and saw the fairies and jumped, only to realise that they were asleep. I looked them closely; their eyes were closed and their breathings were soft and rhythmic. They were asleep. Of course, he must have cast a spell on them to get in at the first place.

I quietly but quickly run down the stairs. When I reach the bottom of the tower, I realise what that man had meant. All the people of the palace were asleep. My rescuer must have just cast a sleeping spell on the entire palace. I'm not so sure if this is safe, though; what if someone notices something wrong at the palace and sees this? They steal the palace! Not that it's my concern anymore.

As much as I want to get out this place as soon as possible, I decide to be prepared. I reluctantly go to the room where Charming and I spent the first night. I shuddered at the memory but I had to go.

Apparently, Charming has been using this room as _our_ bedchambers. Of course, no one could know. I rummage through a trunk in the corner and dress into the clothes in there; a simple cotton shirt and pant, leather boots and thick but light cloak with a hood. I throw in a couple of more shirts and undergarments into a sack. I fasten the medallion around my neck as I head for the armoury. I grab a sword and a knife, leap onto a horse and head out.

Away from the Lunar Palace.

Finally, I was free. Really free.


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, I am a bit more free now...but I have online summer school in a week again. (sighs) I have chapters written but I don't want to post them until I get to write until a certain point of the plot that I have in mind. This chapter was originally supposed to be chapter 6, but I decided that I didn't wanted to slip something about Charming. Not that this part gives much about what Charming is actually doing, but...well, you'll see.**

 **Lads in Distress belongs to the wonderful game making Catfish Crew. However, I did come up with the idea of this story. With that in mind, enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Charming's POV**

 _(Before Mer/Evian was released...)_

I toyed with the ring. It was the one he used to propose to me. It was also my wedding ring from him. He'll never know how much I was happy to receive it from him. The ring was beautiful and I was impressed by the craftsmanship of the Water Kingdom, but the fact that it was a gift from Mer was what made it so special to me.

I felt a tear trickling down my cheek, and I let it flow. Nobody was looking and it wasn't good to keep my emotions bottled up all the time. I silently let my tears pour out of me. I didn't know how much I bottling inside my heart, and the tears were proving how much I had been keeping inside me. Honestly, I was surprised that I could.

I was always a princess that showed what I felt when I wanted. I was the type to even scream at my parents when I thought they were being unfair or unpleasant. Looking back at me from then, I realize how spoiled I was. I was so used to getting my ways just as long as it was within reason…..According to my parents.

They didn't _really_ spoiled me, I suppose. I wasn't the kind of princess to be drunk with her power and abuse it. My parents were always reminding me how my powers as a royalty came with being a good ruler to the people of the kingdom - that the fundamental power of a ruler came from the support of the people, and how I had the responsibility to repay them for their support.

I understood what they meant, and I do love my kingdom and people. The only problem with me was that despite my enthusiasms for being a great ruler, I was a sheltered princess who didn't know what really happened to all my people. Just like any other ignorant and cocky noble and royalty….Like _he_ had said.

Someone knocked the door of my bedchambers and I quickly wiped away the tears with my sleeves. "Come in," my voice betrayed me though, as it cracked like glass. Anyone could have told that I was going through some emotional turmoil. Thankfully, it was Nicholl who came in.

Nicholl frowned when he saw me. I was positive that my red and puffy eyes and tear stains would give it away, despite my bedchambers being dimly lit. If he did notice though, he said nothing about it.

"The carriage is ready, Charming." He said in a low voice.

I out on a bright smile and stood up. "Let's go then."

As I walked past him, I felt him slipping in a handkerchief into my pockets.

I couldn't help but feel teary again. What did I do to deserve such friendship and support?


	8. Chapter 8

**Hiya, people. It's been so long, hasn't it. I know, I know...**

 **I had stuffs to do and I wanted to get some progress with my stories before I posted anymore chapters but I decided I was taking too long. So, here you go! This is what you get after like...2 years! I'm sorry to my small number of readers!**

 **Disclaimers yada yada, but the plot belong to me, and enjoy~!**

 **p.s Irina if you're reading this, this is belated but I want to tell you that I REALLY appreciate your comments. It makes me so happy that someone cares enough to write their opinion of my fanfic. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Evian's POV**

It had been too easy for me to get out that wretched place that I'm starting to think that's it's all but a dream. It's can't be this easy, can it? Not that I'm complaining. This was a real dream come true for me; away from that place and away from her.

If this was a dream, may I never wake up. I was too deep into my thoughts that I didn't notice a particularly low branch and bumped into it, straight into my face.

Ow, that hurt a lot. At least I know for sure that this is real.

I kept riding towards where I knew the border of of the Lunar Kingdom and Water Kingdom was. I did want to get out of this place and relish my freedom. As much as a journey across the entire continent sounded intriguing, I was realistic. The medallion would ensure that I am a certified traveler for whatever reason, but I didn't want to waste the money for that. The money given to me was, like that _guy_ had said, more than enough to start a new life.

With amount I was given I could buy a decent mansion and live like an aristocrat if I wanted. Or, I had to just live like a hermit, here and there. While the idea was actually quite appealing, I couldn't travel around looking like a runaway noble. If I were to, I needed a good story for myself. AND I also had to do something about my appearance.

Good thing I still could do some magic. Charming hadn't taken away the bit of magic she had given me when we first met. She said what can mere illusion magic do in front of _her and Nicholl._ As insulting, careless and arrogant as it was, it did make sense - she had little reason to fear a bit of illusion magic.

I had made illusions of this and that whenever I was bored and when Charming wasn't around, and I got pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. I'm pretty sure that by now I was a master of illusions, perhaps even better than Charming in the department.

I mentally smack myself for feeling so smug about it. As much as the skill can be useful, I had to very discreet in using magic; magic was strictly forbidden in all but the Lunar Kingdom and anyone who isn't from the Lunar Kingdom weren't allowed to know or practice it whatever the reasons. Even the real Prince Mer would have been punished severely if he was found using magic, even if he was married to Princess Charming.

I stopped by a small lake in the middle of the forest. It was getting dark and I did need some rest. The horse needed it too.

The water was crystal clear as expected. I could see my reflection clearly with the glass-like surface of the lake. _My_ reflection? What am I saying?

Red hair and golden amber eyes…. These features were all Prince Mer's, not Evian's. This is not me, yet at the same time, it is me now. This is how I look now.

So, then…..Am I living a lie?

Was I living a lie?

Was that why she hated me so much?


End file.
